She’s one of us

Buying a car is an emotional purchase. It takes time, effort, and often a lot of money to secure the motor car of your dreams, and for most people it is probably the second biggest investment they are ever going to make after property. However, the love for the car doesn’t stop there because, just like pets, it seems like it is slowly working its way into the family tree.

This was echoed in a recent survey conducted by Motorpoint, the UK’s largest car supermarket, which found that 73% of respondents consider their vehicle to be part of the family. This can largely be put down to the many hours spent in the car, and the effort which it taken to maintain them, especially if it is a classic, or one which has been tuned to individual taste.

A family member cannot be without a personality, with many drivers therefore assigning a nickname and a gender to their beloved vehicle. A study by the Associated Press news agency found that the car was more likely to be female for those who had assigned a sex, with women also being more inclined than men to give it a pet name; Betsy, Nelly and Blue, proving to be the most popular choices.

With more and more consumers developing a closer relationship with their four-wheeled companion, earlier this year, Motorpoint introduced their Elements vehicle cover packages to help keep their car on the road. The Cobalt and the Mercury packages in particular, which include tyre and key cover in addition to roadside assistance, offer buyers huge savings when bought with any car or commercial vehicle.

Commenting on the findings, David Shelton, Managing Director of Motorpoint explains: “With the costs associated with maintaining a vehicle, and the rising fuel prices, we have recognised a growing trend in people paying even more attention to the condition of their cars. This is particularly noticeable amongst the part-exchanges which we receive every day, and on occasions it has been hard for buyers to part company!”

For information on the latest deals at Motorpoint, refer to motorpoint.co.uk.